OPD, Elective Surgery, Academics to remain shut for 24 hours in Silchar Medical College

As a mark of protest against the barbaric killing of doctor Deven Dutta the Indian Medical Association has called for a 24-hours closure of non-essential medical services from 6:00 AM, September 3, 2019, to 6:00 AM, September 4, 2019.

This will have its impact in Silchar Medical College and Hospital too. In a joint press release, the Juniors Doctors Association along with the Students Union and Postgraduate Trainee Association announced that they have unanimously decided to support IMA and keep non-essential medical services shut for 24-hours.

The release stated that “We deeply condemn the barbaric murder of our veteran colleague doctor Deven Dutta at Teok tea estate on. The entire medical fraternity is shaken by this gruesome act enhance we unanimously support the 24 hours closure of non-essential medical services from 6:00 AM on September 3, 2019, to 6:00 AM September 4, 2019, as called by the Indian Medical Association”

It is worth mentioning here that at Teok tea estate in Jorhat 73-year-old, doctor Deven Dutta was beaten and locked in a room in the tea-estate hospital premises. As per reports, a 33-year-old female worker was rushed to the hospital in critical conditions. At that time, doctor Dutta was not there in the hospital and saline was administered by a present nurse. The patient died after a while and that irked the tea-garden-workers. When doctor Dutta reached the hospital he was beaten by the mob and later locked in a room. Reports suggest that at around 5:00 PM police reached the spot and rescued Dutta. He was then rushed to Jorhat Medical College where he died while undergoing treatment.

The incident has been condemned all across the country. Dutta retired from services long back and was serving an extension. Like other medical associations and medical students union the SMCH, JDA also urged students and doctors of SMCH to cooperate. “We request all the students and doctors of SMC to join the movement and abstain from providing any non-essential services like OPD is elective surgery etc. including all academic activities,” JDA mentioned in its press release.

The JDA in association with other associations has organised a sit-in from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in front of the OPD. Their demand is an immediate arrest of the individuals who murdered doctor Dutta. However, they have announced that the emergency will function as usual.